Nebraskans called up by FEMA to aid in Hurricane Harvey aftermath

Eighty first-responders from Nebraska are in Texas ahead of the predicted landfall of Hurricane Harvey.

The group is from the Lincoln-based Urban Search and Rescue Task Force

Lincoln Fire Chief Michael Despain says FEMA is requesting that they go to San Antonio, Texas.

“When the hurricane comes in, they fully expect to see localized flooding, so there could be swift water rescue where people are being swept away,” Despain explains. “You could also see people trapped on rooftops – kind of the things that we’ve seen with Hurricane Katrina.”

Despain says FEMA officials requested help when they saw the hurricane intensify.

“To go into a hurricane-impacted area or where there’s severe flooding is always a risk, but they carry protective equipment, they’ve got training, and they have risk assessment when they go in,” he says. “We’re fortunate that these are trained professionals and many of these people have been on multiple incidents.”